Dartmouth's seventh annual Eating Disorder Awareness Week will kick off tomorrow. But instead of focusing on specific diseases such as anorexia and bulimia, this year's programming will address some of the root causes of these ailments, namely diet crazes and excessive exercise regimes that often lead to full-blown disorders.
Marcia Herrin, coordinator of the College's Nutrition Education Program, described the purpose of the altered programming as attempting to "give people the skills to decide what's crazy, and maybe what's dangerous."
"We try to approach preventing eating disorders in a different way each year," Herrin said.
Despite shifts in programming from year to year, the overriding goal of the week is to provide information about eating disorders to students both afflicted and healthy, as well as those who may be worried about friends.
"In the past, these events have encouraged students to begin their own treatments," Herrin said.
Two speeches, both delivered by noted nutrition coach and dietitian Dayle Hayes, will highlight the week.
Tomorrow, Hayes will deliver "Dumb Diets and Dangerous Nutrition Traps: Learn How to Eat Smart, Look Great, Feel Better -- and Never Diet Again." On Wednesday, Hayes will examine the prevelance of diet fads in "Nutrition for the Real World."
Hayes began as a biology teacher and segued into nutrition counseling based on her people skills and interests in natural processes, according to Hayes' son, Patrick Bredehoft '03.
Hayes currently writes a column each week for a newspaper and delivers health lectures to a variety of audiences. She also released a video series entitled "Body Trust" around 10 years ago.
Bredehoft noted that if Hayes is not home when he calls, it is often because she has suddenly embarked on a three- or four-city tour. "She knows air schedules better than most people I know," Bredehoft said.
Eating Disorder Awareness Week began seven years ago at Dartmouth, at roughly the same time as the national event.
According to Herrin, two national groups sponsor events for eating disorder theme weeks in February. However, one often conflicts with Winter Carnival -- Herrin noted that Dartmouth followed that schedule in the week's first year, and it "was not a good idea." The other week often runs too close to the end of the term.
Fewer events are scheduled for this Eating Disorder Awareness Week than last year's, in large part due to a major event run last fall, when actress, stand-up comic and former anorexic Dani Klein '84 brought her two-woman routine to Dartmouth.
Along with the two speeches, programming for the week will include a pair of events designed for professionals at Dartmouth Health Services and closed to the public.
All events are sponsored by the Dartmouth College Health Service, DHMC Center for Continuing Education and the Co-op Food Stores.
